“The Last Dance” was outstanding in the latest episodes Sunday night on ESPN.
I finally cruised through the third and fourth episodes of the Michael Jordan documentary, and I was absolutely blown away. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
There are a few points the two new episodes spent a lot of time focusing on. They were Dennis Rodman, the Bulls needing to overcome the Pistons and Phil Jackson becoming the head coach.
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Let’s start with Rodman. What a wild character of a man. I think we all knew he was a bit eccentric and out there, but the documentary really took things to the next level.
He went to Las Vegas during the season to party with Carmen Electra! It’s such a wild move to dip off to Vegas for a midseason bender, you have to respect it.
He was given 48 hours before having to return to the Bulls. Obviously, that didn’t happen, but it was still worth it. He needed to get his mind right.
“It was definitely an occupational hazard to be Dennis [Rodman’s] girlfriend.” – @carmenelectra #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/jzkdeVUgZw
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 27, 2020
As for the Pistons, it’s crystal clear you can thank the Detroit Bad Boys for giving the world Michael Jordan as we know him.
He simply wasn’t physically dominant enough to handle the Detroit teams of the 1980s and early 1990s. They were brutal towards him, and he had to get stronger.
The entire Bulls had to change in order to beat the Pistons. Most infamously, the Pistons walked off the court without shaking hands after finally losing to the Bulls.
Finally, does any of Jordan’s success at its highest level happen if Phil Jackson never becomes the coach? I think it’s a question worth asking.
Before Jackson’s arrival, the team was focused on Jordan having the ball at all times. With Jackson coaching, the triangle offense arrived and it became about creating as many threats as possible.
I think it’s time give Phil Jackson his damn FLOWERS…. Greatest Coach in NBA History! Don’t @ Me.
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 27, 2020
Jackson was also the perfect man to handle Dennis Rodman and the behavior that came with the legendary defender.
Instead of trying to get Rodman into his mold, Jackson adapted to his needs. It obviously paid off as the Bulls did a ton of winning.
“He don’t look at me as a basketball player, he looks at me as a great friend.”
—Dennis Rodman on Phil Jackson #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/SkuWfA6BKt
— ESPN (@espn) April 27, 2020
We’re four episodes into “The Last Dance” and I’m absolutely loving it. I’d encourage all of you to watch on ESPN if you haven’t already. It’s an incredible look at Michael Jordan, the Bulls and the explosion of NBA basketball.